Title win ‘happiest’ moment for Zidane Inconsistency cost Barca: Enrique
Real Madrid’s decorated manager says winning Spanish league trumps previous achievements as player, coach
MADRID:Zinedine Zidane claimed winning La Liga as Real Madrid coach on Sunday surpasses his stellar achievements as a player and even lifting the Champions League in his debut season as coach last year.
Madrid claimed the Spanish title for a 33rd time as Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 40th goal of the season and Karim Benzema slotted home early in the secondhalf to secure a 2-0 win at Malaga.
“It is the happiest day of my professional life by a distance,” Zidane said after landing Madrid’s first title in five years.
“Right now I would like to stand up here and dance,” he added in a press conference.
Zidane won the World Cup, European Championships and Champions League as one of the greatest players of his generation, but said the extra responsibility that comes with being coach made his achievements all the greater.
“As coach of Real Madrid you know what the expectations are,” he added.
“I have experienced it as a player and that is why I say it is the happiest day of my professional life because being a coach changes everything.
“I have won everything with this club, this shirt but to win La Liga is the best of all.
“I love what I am doing with passion and what I have enjoyed the most is today because after nine or 10 months we have won La Liga.”
Zidane’s role in restoring Madrid to the top of Spanish football was hailed by Ronaldo as the Portuguese claimed just his second league winners’ medal in eight seasons since joining the Spanish giants.
“He has managed things very intelligently along with his assistants,” said Ronaldo.
“The proof is there, we have won a very difficult league against one of the best teams in the world in Barca and for me Zidane has done a phenomenal job.”
Madrid could go onto complete a first La Liga and Champions League double for 59 years when they face Juventus in the Champions League final on June 3. BARCELONA:Barcelona’s inconsistency over the season had cost them the La Liga title, coach Luis Enrique has said.
A second half comeback from two goals down to beat Eibar 4-2 on the final day of the season proved futile as Real beat Malaga 2-0 to end a five-year run without the title.
Barca took 14 points from 18 in their six games against Spain’s top four sides Real, Sevilla and Atletico. Real picked up just eight in the corresponding games.
The Catalans, however, proved less reliable against supposedly weaker opposition, dropping points against Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Deportivo La Coruna, Alaves and Malaga. Madrid took maximum points from those games.
“We haven’t ended the season as we wanted. La Liga is 38 games long and it rewards consistency. We were not consistent enough,” Luis Enrique told a news conference.
“Especially earlier in the season at home and we have paid for that. We didn’t depend on ourselves. We fought until the very end and now we congratulate the worthy champions.
“Whoever wins the league is the worthy winner. We know where we fell short, but this is how it is in the top competitions.”
Barca supporters unveiled a huge banner before the game in tribute to the coach, who spent eight seasons with the club as a player, in his last league match in charge before taking a sabbatical.